Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to review funding arrangements for local authorities requiring increases in asylum accommodation procurement and refugee move-on responsibilities.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Funding arrangements for local authorities are subject to continuous review. Local authorities were informed of the 2025/26 asylum accommodation funding model. Information on the total amount paid to individual local authorities for DA is not currently publicly available on the GOV.UK website

Discussions regarding funding beyond this period are ongoing within the government, and we are currently awaiting approval for the 2026/27 funding based on similar conditions.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consideration is given to police advice and crime data when determining the suitability of properties for dispersed asylum accommodation.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Since 2022, the Home Office has adopted a policy of Full Dispersal, which works to ensure that Asylum accommodation is equitably distributed across the country and that a small number of Local Authorities are not unduly burdened. The Asylum Accommodation plans were developed in an evidence based and deliverable manner and are underpinned by an indexing model which considers several social factors, including crime rates, levels of homelessness and availability of GPs and Dentists.

Development of the plans was informed by feedback provided by local authorities, Strategic Migration Partners (SMPs) the Local Government Association as well as other Government Departments. Details of the Asylum Accommodation Plans are shared with nominated local authority officials and progress is routinely monitored within regular official forums jointly attended by Local Authority, Home Office, accommodation providers and SMPs colleagues.

The Home Office and its accommodation providers operate a robust consultation process, which not only ensures that local authorities are aware of all ongoing procurement activity of Dispersed Accommodation in their respective areas, but also allows them to share local expertise and intelligence, including information from statutory partners such as police, at the earliest opportunity to inform procurement.

Our accommodation providers ensure that consultation with local authorities is carried out in accordance with the requirements and standards set out in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts. At all times, the Home Office maintains oversight of procurement and consultation to ensure effective and appropriate delivery, in line with expected standards and requirements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance is issued to accommodation providers on consultation with local authorities during the postcode check process.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Since 2022, the Home Office has adopted a policy of Full Dispersal, which works to ensure that Asylum accommodation is equitably distributed across the country and that a small number of Local Authorities are not unduly burdened. The Asylum Accommodation plans were developed in an evidence based and deliverable manner and are underpinned by an indexing model which considers several social factors, including crime rates, levels of homelessness and availability of GPs and Dentists.

Development of the plans was informed by feedback provided by local authorities, Strategic Migration Partners (SMPs) the Local Government Association as well as other Government Departments. Details of the Asylum Accommodation Plans are shared with nominated local authority officials and progress is routinely monitored within regular official forums jointly attended by Local Authority, Home Office, accommodation providers and SMPs colleagues.

The Home Office and its accommodation providers operate a robust consultation process, which not only ensures that local authorities are aware of all ongoing procurement activity of Dispersed Accommodation in their respective areas, but also allows them to share local expertise and intelligence, including information from statutory partners such as police, at the earliest opportunity to inform procurement.

Our accommodation providers ensure that consultation with local authorities is carried out in accordance with the requirements and standards set out in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts. At all times, the Home Office maintains oversight of procurement and consultation to ensure effective and appropriate delivery, in line with expected standards and requirements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation local authorities are provided with in the development and review of their local Asylum Accommodation Plans.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Since 2022, the Home Office has adopted a policy of Full Dispersal, which works to ensure that Asylum accommodation is equitably distributed across the country and that a small number of Local Authorities are not unduly burdened. The Asylum Accommodation plans were developed in an evidence based and deliverable manner and are underpinned by an indexing model which considers several social factors, including crime rates, levels of homelessness and availability of GPs and Dentists.

Development of the plans was informed by feedback provided by local authorities, Strategic Migration Partners (SMPs) the Local Government Association as well as other Government Departments. Details of the Asylum Accommodation Plans are shared with nominated local authority officials and progress is routinely monitored within regular official forums jointly attended by Local Authority, Home Office, accommodation providers and SMPs colleagues.

The Home Office and its accommodation providers operate a robust consultation process, which not only ensures that local authorities are aware of all ongoing procurement activity of Dispersed Accommodation in their respective areas, but also allows them to share local expertise and intelligence, including information from statutory partners such as police, at the earliest opportunity to inform procurement.

Our accommodation providers ensure that consultation with local authorities is carried out in accordance with the requirements and standards set out in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts. At all times, the Home Office maintains oversight of procurement and consultation to ensure effective and appropriate delivery, in line with expected standards and requirements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact of extending settlement qualifying periods under consultation CP 1448 on rates of child poverty among migrant families.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, announced changes to the mandatory requirements and qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain. The changes were subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.

The consultation sought views on the impact proposed changes might have on different groups. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised now the consultation has concluded.

The final model will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of student loan interest accrual on borrowers who take (a) maternity leave, (b) shared parental leave and (c) periods of part-time work due to caring responsibilities.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Interest accrues on loan balances until the loan has been repaid in full or cancelled, but interest rates do not impact monthly repayments made by borrowers.

Borrowers on Plan 5 student loans only accrue interest at Retail Price Index (RPI), currently 3.2%, meaning graduates will not repay more than they borrow in real terms. Borrowers on Plan 2 terms have interest applied at RPI only if earnings fall below the repayment threshold, such as while on statutory maternity leave, ensuring that the loan’s debt value will not grow in real terms. Additionally, borrowers, regardless of their plan, earning under the repayment threshold are not required to make repayments.

Graduates only begin repaying once their earnings exceed the earnings threshold, paying 9% of income above that level. If a graduate becomes disabled and permanently unfit for work, loan balances, including interest may be written off.

For all borrowers, any outstanding loan, including interest accrued, will be cancelled after the loan term ends, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of student loan interest accrual on (a) disabled graduates and (b) graduates with long-term health conditions during periods of illness and reduced working capacity.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Interest accrues on loan balances until the loan has been repaid in full or cancelled, but interest rates do not impact monthly repayments made by borrowers.

Borrowers on Plan 5 student loans only accrue interest at Retail Price Index (RPI), currently 3.2%, meaning graduates will not repay more than they borrow in real terms. Borrowers on Plan 2 terms have interest applied at RPI only if earnings fall below the repayment threshold, such as while on statutory maternity leave, ensuring that the loan’s debt value will not grow in real terms. Additionally, borrowers, regardless of their plan, earning under the repayment threshold are not required to make repayments.

Graduates only begin repaying once their earnings exceed the earnings threshold, paying 9% of income above that level. If a graduate becomes disabled and permanently unfit for work, loan balances, including interest may be written off.

For all borrowers, any outstanding loan, including interest accrued, will be cancelled after the loan term ends, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to answer 107494 of 26 January on Child Benefit, how many of the compliance enquiries issued to Northern Ireland claimants (i) were confirmed to be eligible, (ii) were found to have been incorrectly receiving the benefit and (iii) are yet to receive an outcome.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the Hon Member to the response provided to 110941 on 10 February 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the risks to patient safety arising from hospital records not being fully shared between different NHS trusts.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Appropriate information sharing is essential to delivering safe and effective health care. Improving this will enable enhanced quality of care and safety for patients and better informed clinical and care decision-making empowered by access to precise and comprehensive information.

NHS England has been supporting National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in acquiring and developing the effectiveness of their electronic patient records and supporting them to reach an optimum level of digital maturity which will further reduce barriers to the sharing of information needed to treat patients.

By 2028, a new single patient record will end the need for patients to have to repeat their medical history when interacting with the NHS. By providing a complete, real-time view of patient information across regions and care settings, it will significantly improve clinical safety and performance.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much transport infrastructure funding per capita has been allocated to (a) mayoral combined authorities and (b) non-mayoral areas in the North West of England in the latest funding round.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

As part of the Government’s Spending Review in June last year, the following capital funding totals have been allocated for transport infrastructure to local transport authorities, including Mayoral Strategic Authorities and non–mayoral authorities in the North West:

Mayoral Strategic Authorities

Greater Manchester - £1.42 billion Integrated Settlement.

Liverpool City Region - £0.9 billion Integrated Settlement.

Non-Mayoral Strategic Authority

Lancashire - £571.5 million consolidated local transport funding.

Devolution Priority Programme areas

Cheshire and Warrington - £385.3 million consolidated local transport funding.

Cumbria - £383.3 million consolidated local transport funding.

The funding allocated covers the period up to 31^st March 2030 and has been allocated on a range of factors beyond population, including deprivation and road mileage.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of mandatory disclosure of unspent criminal convictions on rates of reoffending.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

We are committed to helping people with convictions overcome barriers to employment and turn away from reoffending. The criminal records regime is designed to play a role in this process, balancing the need to safeguard the public, with enabling ex-offenders to rebuild their lives.

We recognise, however, that disclosure requirements can impact on an individual’s chances to reintegrate into society. That is why the Deputy Prime Minister confirmed that we are considering the recommendation made by Sir Brian Leveson in his independent review of the Criminal Courts, including opportunities to simplify the regime to ensure it is clear and proportionate, particularly in relation to childhood offences.

We are also committed to reducing barriers to employment in other ways, as we know that employment reduces the chance of reoffending significantly, by up to nine percentage points in the year following release. For example, last year we launched regional Employment Councils, which for the first time bring businesses together with prisons, probation and the Department of Work and Pensions to support offenders leaving prison back into work.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many enquiries were opened as a result of data-sharing between HMRC and the DWP to identify when older children claim benefits in their own right; over what timeframe they were opened; and what the outcomes were.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

DWP has long provided HMRC with information where older children receive benefits in their own right. Since 2024, this has been done through notifications of Universal Credit claims, replacing the previous approach which relied on Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support data.

HMRC uses these notifications to stop Child Benefit awards in cases where a young person is receiving benefit in their own right. This prevents dual provision of government support for the same individual. Because the DWP data is notifying HMRC of clear evidence of a benefit award, rather than indicating a risk of this potential, it is approaching 100% effective for addressing this type of error and fraud.

Based on operational management information, which is subject to change, over the last two years HMRC has closed around 3,000 Child Benefit awards following notifications from DWP that the young person was in receipt of Universal Credit.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the removal of the 10% wear and tear allowance on the number of new childminders entering the profession.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department is taking a range of measures to support the financial sustainability of childminding businesses and other early years providers. From April 2026, local authorities will be required to pass at least 97% of their funding directly to providers (an increase from 96%). We are also working with local authorities and others to ensure that childminders and other early years providers can be paid monthly for the funded hours they provide, making their income more stable. Furthermore, from 1 November 2024, the government introduced new flexibilities to help childminders join and stay in the profession, supporting the government’s commitment to roll out expanded childcare entitlements and give children the best start in life.

Under HMRC’s ‘Making Tax Digital’ system, childminders can still claim tax relief for things they buy, repair, or replace for their business, such as furniture, equipment, and household items. This change standardises the way that sole traders record and claim business expenses.

We are however aware of the strength of feeling amongst childminders and those who work with them. We have been talking regularly to Coram Pacey, HMRC and others to understand the issue, the effect that it is having on the childminding sector and to make sure that the concerns of childminders are clearly understood. The department emphasises its strong support for childminders, who continue to provide high quality and flexible early education, and do so in a way that families across the country greatly value.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the written answer 907855 of 12 February 2026, if he will provide the data on (a) punctuality and (b) cancellations for (i) publicly owned and (ii) privately owned operators in each of the last five years.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Data on passenger rail performance, including both quarterly accredited official statistics and periodic management information on cancellations and punctuality for all Train Operating Companies (TOCs), is published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) on the ORR Data Portal.

The Railways (Public Ownership) Act only came into effect in November 2024. Prior to this, operators run by the Department for Transport’s Operator of Last Resort (DfT OLR) were not recognised as being in “public ownership”, now referred to as the DfT Operator (DFTO).

The profile of TOCs within DOLR and subsequently DFTO has changed over time and a five-year time series comparing “publicly owned” and “privately owned” operators would not provide a meaningful comparison.

Table 1 shows the most recent comparative figures for the DFTO and DfT ‑ contracted operators for the 12 months to 3 Jan 2026 (Rail Period 10, 2025/26).

Table 1. Performance of the DFT Operator¹ and DfT-contracted² operators in the 12 months to 3 Jan 2026 (Rail Period 10, 2025/26)

Notes
1. During this period, seven TOCs were under the DfT Operator (DFTO) and seven were privately operated under DfT contracts. (West Midlands Trains did not transfer to DFTO until 1 February and is therefore included in the privately operated group for this period.)

2. The following operators are outside the scope of this comparison, as they are contracted by devolved authorities: Transport for Wales Rail, Scotrail, Caledonian Sleeper, Merseyrail, Elizabeth line and London Overground. Open access operators are also excluded from this comparison.

Source: DfT analysis of Table 3124 - Trains planned and cancellations by operator (periodic); Table 3138 - Train punctuality at recorded station stops by operator (periodic)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the compliance advice published by the Competition and Markets Authority for trader recommendation platforms in protecting consumers from misleading claims and unfair practices.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) decision-making is independent of government. Each parliament the government issues a Strategic Steer to the CMA setting out its priorities for the CMA and the wider policy objectives to which it should have regard. Information about the CMA's enforcement activities is available on its website.

The Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA) strengthens consumer law enforcement by giving the CMA new administrative powers, and they and the courts are able to impose significant monetary penalties of up to 10% of turnover. The CMA recently used the fining powers for the first time against a trader that failed to comply with a legal information notice.

Under the DMCCA, trader recommendation platforms must take reasonable steps to ensure consumer reviews on their sites are genuine. The CMA has published separate guidance for businesses that publish reviews to help meet their legal obligations.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Competition and Markets Authority is taking to protect consumers from rogue traders, including those who provide substandard or fraudulent services.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) decision-making is independent of government. Each parliament the government issues a Strategic Steer to the CMA setting out its priorities for the CMA and the wider policy objectives to which it should have regard. Information about the CMA's enforcement activities is available on its website.

The Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA) strengthens consumer law enforcement by giving the CMA new administrative powers, and they and the courts are able to impose significant monetary penalties of up to 10% of turnover. The CMA recently used the fining powers for the first time against a trader that failed to comply with a legal information notice.

Under the DMCCA, trader recommendation platforms must take reasonable steps to ensure consumer reviews on their sites are genuine. The CMA has published separate guidance for businesses that publish reviews to help meet their legal obligations.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will set out the specific data protection concerns cited by HM Courts & Tribunals Service in its November 2025 cessation notice to Courtsdesk; and what assessment he has made of the reasons that data protection concerns could not be resolved without requiring deletion of the archive.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The concerns which led to the cessation of data sharing with Courtsdesk were based on the unauthorised sharing of HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) data with another party outside of the terms of the arrangement. Courtsdesk agreed under the terms of its pilot arrangement with HMCTS not to provide data to another company without notification to or authorisation by HMCTS. It acted outside the terms of that agreement by sharing data with a third-party AI company. The data provided to the other party without authorisation included sensitive, personally identifiable information of individuals involved in criminal cases, such as their full name, address and date of birth.

HMCTS takes seriously its responsibility to handle data safely to protect those people whose data it holds, and this left termination of the arrangement as the most appropriate course of action.

There has been no deletion of the archive

The Ministry of Justice is doing three things: first, we have launched a market engagement exercise for new providers to reuse our data under a new licensing regime (which would be open to Courtsdesk to apply for); second, in the interim, we have contacted Courtsdesk, and I have recently met with its CEO, with a view to potentially reestablishing their service provided they can demonstrate they will comply with our data protection requirements; third, by the end of March we will be expanding the Court and Tribunal Hearings (CaTH) service, an online portal which allows journalists and the public to access and search court-related information. By the end of March, CaTH will include Magistrates’ and Crown Court lists alongside the Civil, Family and Tribunal hearing lists already published.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure timely and accurate access to magistrates court listings and registers for the public and media following the deletion of the Courtsdesk archive.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The starting point is there has been no deletion of the Courtsdesk “archive”.

Magistrates’ court listing and registers data continues to be available online, by email, in courts, and over the phone.

Work is underway to improve the way in which Magistrates and Crown court lists are available. First, we have launched a market engagement exercise for new providers to reuse our data under a new licensing regime (which would be open to Courtsdesk to apply for); second, in the interim, we have contacted Courtsdesk, and I have met with its CEO, with a view to potentially reestablishing their service provided they can demonstrate they will comply with our data protection requirements; third, by the end of March we will be expanding the Court and Tribunal Hearings (CaTH) service, an online portal which allows journalists and the public to access and search court-related information. By the end of March, CaTH will include Magistrates’ and Crown Court lists alongside the Civil, Family and Tribunal hearing lists already published.

Court records have always been, and will remain, available through formal requests to the relevant court.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment they have made of the potential impact of the decision to require the deletion of the Courtsdesk archive on the principle of open justice and transparency in the justice system.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

There has been no deletion of the Courtsdesk “archive”. Under the terms of the agreement between HMCTS and Courtsdesk, Courtsdesk agreed that it would not hold any court data provided to it for more than 6 months. It acted outside the terms of that agreement. The nature of the “archive” it created does not relate to court records, as has been misreported. Courtsdesk has, essentially, created a historic database of court listing information. In any event, we are taking steps, in discussion with Courtsdesk, to resolve issues where possible whilst protect personal data. I met recently with the CEO of Courtsdesk.

Court records have always been, and will remain, available through formal request to the relevant court.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many households in (i) Fylde constituency and (ii) across Lancashire will benefit from the Disabled Facilities Grant in 2026–27.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We have recently confirmed funding of £723 million for the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) in England in 2026/27. The full list of allocations, including for Fylde and Lancashire, can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changing-the-way-government-allocates-disabled-facilities-grant-funding-to-local-authorities-in-england/outcome/changing-the-way-government-allocates-disabled-facilities-grant-funding-to-local-authorities-in-england-consultation-response#annex-a-list-of-local-authority-dfg-allocations-2026-27

We do not know how many households will benefit in Fylde and Lancashire specifically, as- people apply for the grant locally and it is up to each local authority to manage their allocation whilst meeting their statutory duties. In 2024/25, the DFG supported nearly 60,000 people nationally to make adaptations to their homes, with an average grant of approximately £10,000.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress he has made on implementing the £500 million fair pay agreement for adult social care workers.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The consultation on the design of the Fair Pay Agreement process has now closed, however the Easy Read version remains open until 6 March to ensure everyone has the opportunity to contribute. We are analysing the responses and will set out our formal response in due course.

We expect regulations establishing the negotiating body, bringing together employer and employee representatives, will be laid in 2026. We expect negotiations will be held in 2027. Once an agreement on how the funding should be spent has been reached, the Fair Pay Agreement will be implemented in 2028.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with representative organisations, including Mencap, on the adequacy of social care charging reforms.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Last year, the Prime Minister asked Baroness Louise Casey of Blackstock to chair an independent commission into adult social care to look at how to build a social care system that is fit for the future, including how best to make it fair and affordable

Baroness Casey and her team have been engaging extensively, putting the voices of people who draw on care and their families at the centre of the conversation, as well as meeting with sector organisations. Later this year, the commission will also launch a national conversation to build public consensus on what adult social care should deliver for citizens.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will update Section 16 of the NHS Staff Terms and Conditions Handbook to clarify the impact of partial retirement on redundancy entitlements.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Contractual redundancy provisions for staff covered by the National Health Service terms and conditions of service handbook, also referred to as Agenda for Change, in England were agreed and ratified in partnership by the NHS Staff Council, the collective bargaining structure made up of trade union and employer representatives.

There are no plans to update the handbook.

Excise